Paper-dispensing cabinet.



C. P. WINTER. PAPER mspsusma CABINET. APPLlCATlON FILED JUNE 2, I914.

1,170,380. 7 Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

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2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 17 J C. P. WINTER.

- PAPER DISPENSING CABINET. APPLICATION man lu'mz 2, 1914.

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ily understood, reference is bad to the ac- COURTNEY 1?. WINTER, OF WASHINGTON, DI STRIGT OE CQLUMBIA.

PAZPER-DIS PENSING CABINET.

Application filed June 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, COURTNEY P. WINTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Dispensing Cabinets,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in dispensing cabinets for paper sheets, such as folded tissue paper towels,-and the like, and to a peculiar method of folding the sheets to adapt them for use in connection with the cabinet. g

The objects of the invention are to provide a cabinet of this character so constructed that the specially folded sheets may be withdrawn therefrom one at a time with convenience and certainty, and in which no mechanical feeding. or delivering devices are necessary. I am aware that many attempts have heretofore been made to produce a satisfactory cabinet of this character. Many of such prior constructions have, however, depended for their action upon some peculiar method of interlocking the sheets with each other, whereby when one sheet is withdrawn, it causes a portion of the following sheet to protrude from the cabinet. Tn the present invention there is no interlocking of the sheets, simply a stack or. pile of folded sheets being employed. This has the advantage, among others, that the cabinet may be replenished with anydesired quantity of paper at a time, without the necessity of using a specially prepared package, and engaging the bottom sheet thereof with the uppermost cabinet. Moreover, the proper folding of the sheets is greatly simplified.

In order that'the invention may be readcompanying drawings forming a partof this specification, and in which, 1

Figure 1 is a perspective view'of my improved cabinet as it appears in use; Fig. 2 is an inverted plan thereof; Fig. 3 is a transverse. section'on a plane at one side'of the center; Fig. 4: IS a fragmentary similar section through the center; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but illustrating a modified construction; Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 5; 7 is an edge view illustrating the method of folding the in the other figures ofthe drawing; and, Figs. 8 to 13, inclusive, are ,views similar to Specification of Letters Patent.

sheet alreadyv in the,

' single fold forming a paper sheets shown f Patented Feb. t. 1916.

1e1a-ser1a1no.s42,4ce.,

Fig. 7 illustrating other mamas in which the paper may be folded.

Referring to improved cabinet is .of rectangular shape and comprises a main portion 1 made up of top, front and side walls, and a bottom 1*, such portion being pivotally mounted, as at 2, upon a back plate 3, which may be secured to a wall or other similar support as "by means of screws 4:. A-lock 5 normally secures the body portion 1 to the back plate the drawings in detail, my.

3, as will bereadily understood from aninspection of Fig. 3.

in the bottomof my improved cabinet, I form an opening 6, which is preferably sub.- stantially triangular 'inshape, the base of the triangle being formed by the lower edge 10 of the front wall of the cabinet. The

side edges of the. triangular opening are preferably turned over as at 7 -to provide a smooth bead over which the sheets slide as they are withdrawn. It will be noted that the base of the triangle is of less width than the cabinet so that portions 8 of the bottom are left at each side of the triangular opening adjacent the base thereof.

The front wall of the cabinet curves rearwardly-at its lower edge, and merges into'the bottom 1. The middle portion of the lower edge 10 of the front wall may be slightly at 11, to provide free access to the paper .sheets.

I preferably fold'each sheet in the manner shown in Fig, 7 The sheet. is first folded at a, and then again at y, this second fold being so located as to form a relatively narrow portion 3 to a, and a relatively wide portion from y to I). These will be referred to as the narrow portion a and the wide portion 5, respectively.

' In Fig. 8 T have shown a sheet with a a wide portionb.

1 In Fig. 9, in order to have the same thickness of paper at botha'en'ds, T have illustrated oneend of the sheet folded back, as indicated at 0 the narrow portion being designated (L2 and the Wide portion 12 In Fig. 10, I have shown a portion a bent in the reverse directionfrom that shown in narrow portion a and as indicated at 9,

cut away, as indicated Fig. 9 so as to form a narrow portion a and I a wide portion-b In Fig. 11 the folds are somewhat peculiar, there being a short free end 0*, but the folding results in the production of a narrow" leafletse a,awe-a;reassess-seas we: v ine-nee; can 1.?

portion a and a wide portion 5 as in the other figures.

Fig. 12 is just the reverse of'Fig. 7, the

free ends of the sheet constituting a narrow 5 portion a and the folded end constituting a wide portion b In Fig. 13, three thicknesses of paper are employed instead of four, giving a narrow. portion a and a wide portion 6.

no Referring again to Figs. 1 to d of the drawings, it will be seen that the width of the cabinet is less than the width of the wide portion Z) of the sheets. The resultof this is'that when the sheets are placed in the to cabinet with the folds y thereof abutting the rear wall 3, the free ends of the wide portion b of the sheets are bent upwardly against the front wall of the cabinet, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. lit will be noted that the lower edge 10 of the front wall teri in'inates considerably above the plane of the bottom 1*, and that the distance from such edge to the rear wall 3 of the cabinet is slightly greater than the width of the narrow portion a of the sheets. From this it will be seen that when the sheets are placed in the cabinet as described, with thenarrow portion a undermost, such narrow portion will tend to sag downwardly through the triangular openmg as indicated at a wide portion 1) of the sheets, however, is supported at the front edge by the inturned edge 10, constituting the base of the triangle, and across the middle. by the converging sides of the triangle. This three-line or triangular support is a valuable feature of the invention, as by such means sagging or bulging downward of the pile of sheets is prevented. Difficulties due to this tendency have been experienced in prior devices where & attempts have been made to support the pile between two parallel lines or edges. The efficiency of my improved method of support is due to the fact that a sheet of paper can-' not bend along angularly disposed intersecting lines without buckling. I

It will be observed that the sheets rest one upon the other and are supported at each side of the opening 6 by the portions 8 of the wall. The weight of the upner sheets therefore causes considerable pressure and friction between the lowermost .sheet and the I one next above it adjacent the points 8. Therefore, when the sagging portion 0a of the edge of the narrow portion a of the lowermost sheet is seized by the consumer and withdrawn (through the opening, the sliding of the ends of such. sheet toward the center as they move to clearthe portions 8 of the cabinet, tends to frictionally drag-the ends of the next sheet in the same direction and thus cause a puckering of such sheet. Therefore, as each sheet is withdrawn, the free edge 'a of the next succeeding sheet will 85 fall through the opening, such action being The aided by the weight of the sheets above it and this, in conjunction with the puckering action exercised by the sheet being withdrawn, causes the next sheet to naturally assume a configuration, suchas shown in the 7o drawings, with the middle portion m thereof sagging down a sufficient distance to be conveniently grasped by the ,-fingers. At the same time, the wide portion of the sheet is prevented from sagging by the three line support, above described;

In Figs. 5 and 6, l have shown a slightly modified arrangement in which the front wall 12 is curved rearwardly and terminates at 13 in a plane considerably above that of so the bottom 14:. The euges of the front wall 13 and bottom It may be straight and constitute aslot 15, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, or the same triangular configuration of opening may be employed as illustrated in the other figures. In this construction, as well as in the other, it will be seen that the edge 1.3 is arranged above the bottom and in a difi'erent plane and serves to support the free edges of the wide portion 6 of the sheets.

With either construction and with any of the methods of folding the sheets shown in Figs. 7 to 13, inclusive, it will be seen that the operation is substantially the same, and that in each case the withdrawal of one sheet places the succeeding sheet in position to be readily grasped by the fingers of the consumer.

What ll claim is:

y 1. A cabinet for dispensing paper sheets,

each sheet being folded to form portions of unequal width, and the sheets being arranged in a stack, with the narrower portions undermost, said cabinet having an opening in its bottom through which'the free edge of the narrower portion of the sheets may project, the forward side of the opening being formed by a ledge adapted to support the free edge of the wider portion of such sheets, said ledge being disposed in a difi'erent planefrom the bottom, and being located sufficiently above the bottom to permit of the free edge of the narrower portion of a sheet lying upon and substantially in the plane of the bottom being grasped by the fingers of the user..

2. A cabinet for dispensing paper sheets, each sheet being folded to form portions of unequal width, and'the sheets being superposed, with the narrower portions under- 1 0 most, said cabinet having a substantially triangular opening in its bottom through which the free edge of the narrower portion of the sheets may depend, the base, of the triangle being formed by the, lower margin of the frontwall of the cabinet, such lower margin being bent rearwardly so as to constitute a ledge upon whichthe free edge of the wider portion of the sheets is supported.

3. A cabinet for dispensing paper sheets, each sheet being folded to form portions of unequal width, and the sheets being superposed, with the narrower portions undermost, said cabinet having a substantially triangular opening in its bottom through which the free edge of the narrower portion of the sheets may project, the base of the triangle being of less length than said sheet, whereby the ends of said sheets rest upon the bottom at each side of the base and sag downwardly through such triangular opening.

4. A cabinet for dispensing paper sheets, each sheet being folded to form portions of unequal width, and the sheets being superposed with the narrower portions undermost, said cabinet having an opening in its bottom through which the free edge of the narrower portion may extend, the length of said opening being less than the corresponding dimension of the sheets, whereby the ends of said sheets are supported at each side of said opening, and the middle of the narrow portion thereof sags downwardly through the opening.

5. A cabinet for dispensing paper sheets, each sheet being folded to form portions of unequal width, and the sheets being superposed, with the narrower portions undermost, said cabinet having a relatively long opening in its bottom through which the free edge of the narrower portion may extend, and means at each end of said opening for supporting the extreme ends of the narrower portions of the sheets, whereby the middle thereof sags downwardly through the opening.

6. A cabinet for' dispensing paper sheets comprising bottom, side and front walls,

said bottom having-a substantially triangular opening therein, the base of the triangle being formed by the lower edge of the front wall, such lower edge being curved rear- ,wardly and terminating above the plane of thebottom.

7 A cabinet for dispensing paper sheets comprising bottom, side and. front walls,

said bottom having a substantially triangular opening therein, the base of the triangle being formed by the lower edge of the front wall, such lower edge being curved rearwardly, and cutaway at its middle to provide an opening, the lowest portion of said edge being above the plane of the bottom.

8. A cabinet for dispensing paper sheets, each sheet being folded to form portions of unequal width, and the sheets being arranged in a stack with the narrow portions under-most, said cabinet comprising a rear wall, and a boxlike body pivoted thereto, said body having front and side walls, the lower edge of the front wall being extended rearwardly to form a ledge or shelf on which the wider portion of said sheets is supported, and a second ledge or shelf located adjacent said rear wall below and in a diiferent plane from said first shelf, said shelves together constituting the bottom of the cabinet, and being spaced apart to form an opening through which the narrower portion of the sheets may depend.

9. A cabinet for dispensing paper sheets, each sheet being folded to form portions of unequal width, and the sheets being arranged in a stack, with the narrower portions 'undermost, said cabinet comprising front, rear, and side walls, a shelf or ledge disposed adjacent the lower edge of both said front and rear walls, said shelves projecting inwardly toward each other, one of said shelves serving to support oneside of the wider portion only of said sheets, and the other being located below and in a different plane from the first, said shelves net, and being spaced apart to form an opening through which the narrower portion of the sheets may depend.

Invtestimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two wltnesses.

COURTNEY P. WINTER.

Witnesses ROBERT WATSON, C. VAN SANT. 

